Lewis, who signed a two-year contract Wednesday, was regarded as the frontrunner for the job after Bowman retired June 13 the night Detroit won the Stanley Cup.

"I know what's expected," said Lewis, who announced that his coaching staff will include associate coach Barry Smith and former Red Wings player Joe Kocur. "I look forward to the challenge."

Lewis inherits a team with a number of likely future Hall of Famers, including captain Steve Yzerman Lewis' teammate in 1986-87. Lewis, whose primary responsibility was handling the defensemen, has worked with three head coaches in Detroit: Jacques Demers, Bryan Murray and Bowman.

Lewis was a defenseman for 15 years with the New York Islanders, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Detroit.

At the beginning of the 1998-99 season, Lewis shared head coaching responsibilities with Smith for the first five regular-season games while Bowman recovered from knee surgery.